New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh’s legendary rivals Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati and Samaj Party (SP) founder Mulayam Singh Yadav came together on one stage on Friday more than two decades after their bitter falling out.
The rare sight was followed by the even more unusual occurrence of Mayawati canvassing for Mulayam Singh Yadav, whose party workers had manhandled her 24 years ago in the notorious “Guest House” incident.
Referring to that incident, she sought to explain again today, why. “Mulayam Singhji is not a fake backward leader like the prime minister,” she said.
In turn, the SP patriarch asked the crowd to always respect the BSP chief. “I welcome Mayawati to this rally. We must respect the BSP chief because she has always stood by us during bad times. I am glad she has come to support me,” Mulayam Singh Yadav said.
Mayawati has already asked workers of both the BSP and the SP to shun their differences and work for the victory of the alliance in the state.
Mulayam Singh had so far stayed away from the SP-BSP-RLD alliance’s rallies in Deoband, Badaun, and Agra. Mulayam also skipped the nomination of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav in Azamgarh, a seat which is currently held by the former.
Mulayam and Mayawati have been at loggerheads since 1995 when SP cadres had allegedly attacked the state guest house where the BSP chief had been camping with her supporters after she withdrew support for the SP-led government in Uttar Pradesh.
An SP leader told PTI that today’s rally at Christian field in Mainpuri would send out a message to the political opponents that the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in Uttar Pradesh shares a strong bond.
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Ms Kalinga